The Galle Face Hotel was established in 1864, five years before the Suez Canal came into operation. A journey through the Suez Canal was a breakthrough in every respect, and from 1869 onwards the Galle Face was commonly hailed as "the most lux...

In 1954, a group of wealthy individuals including Donald Deskey, the fabled designer (among his works the Radio City Music Hall); Harvey Firestone, Jr. of The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company; Richard Reynolds of the Reynolds Metal Company...

The Parisian hotel with two names! And it all started with a kiss! More than anybody else, Edward, the Prince of Wales (1910–1936), influenced the naming of this house. So it was called (see above) Prince of Wales Hotel and ...

The man with the sign ‘Grand Hotel Royal’ awaits me on the platform at Keleti railway station. He takes my bags and me to the hotel. The doorman opens the car. Arrived – home. The chief concierge greets from the concierge box, the r...

When you read 'originally opened', you know that there is something special about the opening date(s) of a hotel. Well, the Hotel Bristol in Vienna, Austria, ‘originally opened’ in 1892, because today, it stands ...

"The Metropole is one of the last grand hotels of the so called exotic East. I have returend to the Metropole many times. While researching its history I have - romantically - fallen in love with many elements of its past. I think you...

The Strand Hotel's recreation area - an oasis in the heart of the buzzing city of Yangon.
A book of history, stories and memories of all the artists and writers who found inspiration at The Strand. "The Strand" — what a name in South Ea...

The Ritz Madrid is one of the classic elegant European grand hotels. It welcomes us with all the luxruy of a bygone time, elegant and refined, yet state-of-the-art und in fact very contemporary.
From the preface of our book on the Ritz:
"...

"Stay at the Imperial and feel like an Emperor," said Charlie Chaplin during his visit. The former private palace of the Duke of Wuerttemberg, completed around 1866 and never inhabited by the duke, was converted into a hotel for the 1873 world exposi...

One of the finest hotels in South East Asia
In April 2014 the People's Grand Hotel Xi'an reopened after the most extensive renovation in its history. Once the first grand hotel of the modern People's Republic, it is today one of...

At the end of Princess Street presides the Queen of Edinburgh, the 'Caley'. Lush green gardens offer a walk in the park to museums, shops and the old castle district on the hill. After checking-in at the Waldorf Astoria Edinbur...

One of the grand palatial hotels of the European Alps. Best known for being the heart of affairs during the World Economic Forum, it boasts a rich history, starting in 1875.
A well researched book commemorates the history of this l...

Happiness is made to be shared, knew the great French dramatist Jean Baptiste Racine (†1699).
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Your Hotel(Hi-)Storyteller
Andreas Augustin & Team